Canyon’s Distance Runners Preparing to Split Difference

If co-Coach Dave DeLong of Canyon High had his druthers, the Cowboys would be running in a 12,800-meter relay in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut today.

He’ll have to settle for the 6,400, however, since the 12,800 is not contested at the high school level.

Canyon, runner-up in the state Division II cross-country final in November, has four runners who have bettered 9:31 in the 3,200 this season. But senior Nick Zoetewey, who has run 9:17.20 in the 3,200; juniors Jameson Mora (9:18.69) and Luke Llamas (9:29.18), and sophomore Ryan Morgan (9:30.56) will each run half that distance today.

“We’re going to shoot for [a time] under 17:50,” DeLong said. “And see where we go from there.”

A time of 17:50 will be the fastest by a team from the region since Thousand Oaks ran 17:42.54 in 1994, but it won’t guarantee Canyon a victory because today’s race includes elite teams from Long Beach Poly, Clovis, Los Gatos, Don Lugo and Concord De la Salle.

There will be several other interesting matchups in the high school portion of the meet that starts at 8 a.m. with the boys’ 3,200 relay.

Sophomore Allyson Felix of L.A. Baptist has the fastest time in the state this year in the girls’ 100 at 11.82 and is the national leader in the 200 at 23.48, but she’ll be the underdog today against senior Monique Henderson of San Diego Morse.

Henderson, who has signed with UCLA, set a national record of 50.74 to win the 400 in the state championships last year. She has bests of 11.61 in the 100 and 23.19 in the 200.

Junior Angel Perkins of Gahr, runner-up to Henderson in the 200 and 400 in the state championships, is also entered in the 100 and 200.

Melissa Astete of Birmingham, who signed with USC, will renew rivalries with Jamie Kolar of Long Beach Poly and Laura Chen of Temple City in the girls’ pole vault.

Astete, runner-up in the state championships last year, cleared a region record of 13 feet to win the Arcadia Invitational last Saturday and tie Kolar for third on the all-time state list.

Chen, who has a best of 12-7, is the defending state champion.

Anita Siraki of Hoover, defending state champion in the girls’ 3,200, will run in the 3,200, 6,400 and distance medley relays. She ran a superb 4:46.3 on her 1,600-meter leg of the distance medley relay during the open portion of the Arcadia Invitational before finishing second in the invitational 3,200 in 10:16.79, the second-fastest time of her career.

“It definitely gave me a confidence boost,” Siraki said of her outstanding double. “It showed me where I’m at right now.”

Taft, defending City Section boys’ champion, has no entrants in individual events, but the Toreadors should contend for titles in the 800, 1,600 and sprint medley relays.

Senior Jason Lovell of Cleveland, winner of the boys’ 400 at Arcadia, will run in the 200 and in the 1,600 relay.

Junior teammate Randy Bundy, who ran a career best of 48.19 to finish fourth in the 400 at Arcadia, will run in that event and in the 1,600 relay.

Seniors Chris Wells-Anders of El Camino Real, runner-up in the 800 in the state championships, will compete in that event after a disappointing 12th-place finish at Arcadia.

Senior Makisi Haleck of Thousand Oaks, defending Southern Section Division II champion in the boys’ pole vault, will also compete.

Valencia senior Wes Felix, Allyson’s brother, will run in the 100 and 200 and in the 1,600 relay.